L I G 



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They may also be increased by seeds, which 

 should be be sown in the latter end of August, 

 in a border of light bog earth. The ])lants 

 should remain in this situation till the second 

 summer, and be then taken up at the proper 

 period and planted in beds, till they begin to 

 flower, when they should be removed into the 

 borders. In this way they are three or four years 

 before they flower. 



The best niL-thod is, to procure the roots from 

 the nurserymen, and plant them in the begin- 

 ning of the autumn, in an eastern or northern 

 border, where the soil is of a boggy quality, in 

 patches of three or four together, in the fronts, 

 putting them in to the depth of about three or 

 four inches. 



Tlie oflT-sets should be planted out in beds a 

 year or two after being taken off, till fit to be 

 set out for flowering. 



A soft loamy soil, or a mixture of loam and 

 bog earth, are the most suited to their healthy 

 growth. The last sort requires protection in the 

 house with other Cape bulbs. 



By planting them in the different aspects men- 

 tioned, a longer succession of flowers may be 

 produced. 



They arc very ornamental in the fronts of the 

 borders, or the sides of the lawns, and other 

 parts near the house. 



LIGHT, a subtile fluid highly necessary to 

 the healthy growth and vigour of plants. 



The autho^r of the Philosophy of Gardening re- 

 marks, that thecontest for light as well as for air, 

 which is so visible in the growth of vegetables, 

 shows the former to be of great consequence to 

 their existence, as well as the latter. "Thus," says 

 he, " many flowers follow the sun during the 

 course of the day, by the nutation of the stalks, not 

 by the ^ots^tion of them, as observed in the Sun- 

 flower, by Dr. Hales, and the leaves of all plants 

 endeavour to turn their upper surfaces to the light, 

 which is their respiratory organ, or lungs. The 

 great use of all plants turning the upper surfaces 

 of their leaves to the light, is thus rendered in- 

 telligible ; the water perspired from those sur- 

 faces is, he conceives, hyperoxygenated ; and, as 

 it escapes from the sharp edges of the mouths 

 of the perspiring vessels, when acted upon by 

 the sun's light, gives out oxygen ; which oxy- 

 gen thus liberated from the perspired water, and 

 added to that of the common atmosphere, pre- 

 sents to the respiratory terminations of the 

 pulmonary vessels on the upper surfaces of leaves, 

 ■ an atmosphere more replete with vital air. This 

 necessity of light to the respiration of vegetables 

 is so great, he thinks, that there is reason to 

 believe lliat many plants do not respire during 

 the night, but exist in a torpid state, like waiter- 



sleeping insects. Thus the Mmosa, Sensitive 

 Plaut, and many others, close the upper surfaces 

 of their opposite leaves together during the night, 

 and thus preclude them both from the air and 

 lislit; and the internal surfaces of innumerable 

 flowers, which are their respiratory organs, are 

 closed during the night, and thus unexposed 

 both to light and air. 



" It is however observed, that iheyMWoii, which 

 are termed vegetables because they are fixed to 

 the earth, or to the stones, or trees, or timber, 

 where they are found, can exist without light, or 

 much air, as appears in the truffle, which neverap- 

 pcars above ground ; and by olhcrj'ii/igi, which 

 grow in dark cellars ; and in esculent mushrooms, 

 which are cultivated beneath bed sof straw." 



The etiolation or blanching of vegetables also 

 depends upon keeping the light from them. 



It is further contended, that " the element of 

 lieht, as well as that of heat, is necessary to vege- 

 tation. In this climate they both seem in ge- 

 neral to be injurious only by their defect, and 

 seldom by their excess. But as light acts as a 

 stimulus on the more irritative or sensitive pans 

 of ]flants, which appear by the expansion of 

 manv flowers, and of some leaves, when the 

 sun shines on them, and by the nutation of the 

 whole flower, as of theSun-flower (Heiianthus), 

 and by the bending of the summits of all plants 

 confined in houses towards the light ; there may 

 be diseases owing to the excess of this stimulus, 

 which have not been attended to; to prevent 

 which, the fiowers of Tragnpogon, Salsafi, and 

 of other plants, close about noon. Other un- 

 observed diseases may be owing to a defect of 

 the stimulus of light ; as a Mimosa, Sensitive 

 Plant, which had been cor^fined in a dark room, 

 did not open its foliage, though late in the day, 

 till many minutes after it was exposed to the 

 light." The excess of light has not, however, 

 been observed to be attended by vegetable dis- 

 eases in these more northern latitudes. 



Experience has shown its infinite service to 

 the growth of vegetables, contributing exceed- 

 ingly to facilitate their vegetation, and increase 

 their perfection and duration ; as it is obvious 

 that most plants are considerably more prosper- 

 ous, and attain greater perfection, in a free expo- 

 sure fully open to the light and air, than in 

 shady placcj ; the same is observed of fruits. 

 Those growing in a situation full to the light 

 of the sun, are in general more large and fair, 

 ripening sooner, and more perfectly, as to beau- 

 ty and richness of flavour, than such as grow 

 in the shade : these reasons should therefore de- 

 termine us to cultivate most of the principal 

 plants and fruits in situations open as much as 

 possible to the full light and influence of the 



